Richard Garriott's Shroud of the Avatar has entered the next phase in its early development, developer Portalarium has announced. Release 2 of the fantasy role-playing game has been rolled out and is now available for backers of the crowd funded project. For the next few days, backers can log into the game, play it, and explore the world; at the end, they can provide feedback to developers who can then make corrections and improve upon the game. See how awesome early release games can be?

"The beauty of developing a game in this fashion is that we are constantly in touch with our fans and backers as they provide us with invaluable feedback along each and every milestone," said Shroud of the Avatar Executive Producer Starr Long. "Our last release was well received and the community helped us identify processes and features that need improving. Ultimately it should result in a game that both the community and the team will be proud to release later this year."

So what's new in Release 2 for Shroud of the Avatar? For starters, a second municipality, Kingsport, has been added. Other new features include a list inventory, increased character customization, recipe books, and the very first stages of crafting. In these early stages, crafting will initially focus on refining and production for smithing, tailoring, and carpentry. There will be more than 100 recipes with chests full of crafting resources spread throughout the world. Other aspects of crafting, like resource gathering, repairing, and enhancing, will be rolled out in future releases.

"It's thrilling to have our backers and fans working so closely with us as we create this new game together," added Richard Garriott. "Every release opens up the world a bit more and provides us with another window into New Britannia. I personally want to thank each and every backer for his or her contribution to our effort and for their willingness to take this voyage with us. I look forward to adventuring with all of you in the months and years ahead!"

Backers of Shroud of the Avatar can find instructions for downloading Release 2 here.

Matt Liebl
You can follow Senior News Editor Matt Liebl on Twitter @Matt_GZ. He likes games, sports, musicals, and his adorable dog, Wrigley, and his wife.